Raven Thornewood

Resilient: Raven possesses an inner strength and determination that belies her sickly and malnourished exterior. She has survived this long in spite of her dire circumstances, and her spirit remains unbroken.

Resourceful: Growing up in poverty, Raven has had to rely on her wits and ingenuity to procure food, shelter, and the necessities of life. She is clever and adaptable, always looking for creative solutions to her problems.

Cautious: Years of hardship have made Raven wary and guarded. She is slow to trust others and hesitation to accept help, fearing that aid may come with strings attached or a hidden price.

Introverted and solitary: Raven prefers her own company to the fickle and often cruel nature of those around her. She finds solace in the solitude of the streets and alleys, away from the judging eyes of the townsfolk.

Melancholic: The weight of her past life and the struggles of her present existence have left Raven with a deep-seated sadness and a tendency to dwell on the darkness in the world.

Unconsciously Proud: Raven may be poor and powerless, but she still harbours a quiet pride and a reluctance to be pitied or patronized.

Naturally Curious: Beneath her jaded exterior, Raven is fascinated by the world around her, the magic that permeates it, and the possibilities it offers.

Empathetic and Compassionate: Raven has a deep capacity for empathy and understanding, born of her own sufferings. She feels the pain of others acutely and is moved to help when she can.

Superstitious: Raised in a world where magic and the supernatural are real, Raven is prone to believing in omens, signs, and the influence of fate.

Tenaciously Resilient: Raven's spirit is harder than the calloused skin on her hands, forged by the trials and tribulations of her life. She clings to hope and purpose with a stubborn, unyielding grip.

Pragmatically Resourceful: Raven's mind is a sharp, honed tool, always seeking the most efficient and clever means to an end. She thinks on her feet and makes quick, decisive choices to survive.

Wary and Cautious: With the instincts of a cornered animal, Raven is acutely attuned to the subtle cues and hidden dangers that lurk in every shadowy alleyway and crowded marketplace. She has learned to read the body language and facial expressions of those around her, to sense the slightest shift in their demeanour that might signal a threat. Raven's heart races and her breath quickens at the slightest provocation, adrenaline surging through her veins as her body prepares to fight or flee. She is slow to trust and quick to mistrust, always expecting the worst and preparing for betrayal. Even in the company of her fellow outcasts, Raven maintains a certain distance, never fully letting her guard down lest she be caught off guard by a knife in the back or a stolen purse. Her caution is a defence mechanism, a shield forged in the fires of hardship and honed by the whetstone of fear.

Secretly Ambitious: Beneath her humblest of exteriors and her resignation to her fate, Raven harbours a hidden hunger for more than the meagre scraps of a beggar's life. In the depths of her heart, she dreams of rising above her station, of casting off the chains of poverty and building a new life for herself. This ambition is a smouldering ember, kept banked and hidden from view, lest it be snuffed out by the cruelty of the world. It fuels her determination to survive, to adapt, and to find a way to break free from the cycle of despair that has trapped her and so many like her.

Naturally empathetic: Raven's capacity for empathy and compassion runs deeper than her own struggles and hardships. She feels the pain and suffering of others as acutely as her own, and it is this sensitivity that drives her to help those even less fortunate than herself. It is a trait that has often put her at odds with the more ruthless and self-serving members of the underworld, but it is also one of the qualities that has earned her the loyalty and devotion of those she has helped. In a world where so many have turned a blind eye to the plight of the poor, Raven's empathy is a beacon of light, a reminder that even the lowest among them deserve compassion and understanding.

Secretly Creative: Unbeknownst to most, Raven possesses a hidden talent for crafting and creating, a skill that has served her well in her scavenger's life. With deft fingers and an eye for detail, she can transform the most humble of materials (scraps of fabric, bits of wire, and broken trinkets) into something beautiful and useful. In the quiet moments between foraging for food and dodging the city watch, Raven loses herself in the act of creation, her worries and fears melting away as she shapes and sculpts. Her creations are a reflection of her inner world, imbued with a dark, haunting beauty that hints at the depths of her experiences.

Likes:

• The freedom and independence of her solitary life, such as it is.

• The quiet moments of peace and solitude she finds in hidden corners of the city.

• The company of other outcasts and misfits, those who, like herself, have been cast out
   and shunned by society. In their presence, Raven feels a sense of kinship and
   understanding, a shared bond forged in the fires of adversity.

• She enjoys swapping stories, comparing scars, and commiserating over the injustices
  they've both endured. There's a dark humour that arises from their shared plight, a
  gallows humour that helps to alleviate the weight of their burdens, if only for a moment.

• The thrill of the hunt, that moment when clever planning and quick reflexes come
   together to procure a much-needed item, filling her with a rush of adrenaline and
   triumph.

• The simple joys of a warm, flickering fire on a cold night, the way it illuminates her tired
   face and casts dancing shadows across the wall of her modest shelter.

• The feeling of the cool, smooth wood of a newly carved piece beneath her fingers, and
   the satisfaction of a job well done with her own hands.

• The beauty of the natural world, the way the changing seasons paint the sky in hues of
   orange and red, and the peace she finds in the solitude of the forest's edge.

• The fleeting glimpses of hope and possibility that come from seeing others, those who
   were once like her, who have managed to rise above their circumstances and build a
   better life.

Dislikes:

• The smug self-righteousness and hypocrisy of the wealthy, who look down upon the
  poor with contempt while enjoying the fruits of their labour and suffering.

• The constant, gnawing hunger that consumes her thoughts and weakens her body,
   making even the simplest tasks a struggle.

• The bone-deep cold that seeps into her flesh and chills her to the core, a constant
   reminder of her own mortality and the precariousness of her existence.

• The constant, gnawing fear of being caught, of being punished for her crimes, and the
  ever-present threat of the gallows or the dungeon.

• The gnawing, empty ache of a stomach that has gone too long without food, the way it
   twists and cramps in a desperate attempt to draw nourishment from nothing.

• The soul-crushing realization that, no matter how hard she works or how clever she is,
  she will always be seen as less than human, a creature to be pitied and reviled.

• The sickening, gut-wrenching betrayal that comes when she reaches out a desperate,
   hungry hand to beg for scraps, only to be met with a sneer of disgust and a harsh
   rebuke from those who have the luxury of looking down upon her. It is a betrayal that
   cuts deeper than any knife, a wound that bleeds not blood, but the very essence of her
   self-worth.

• The soul-sucking despair of watching her fellow man, those who claim to be good and
   just, turn a blind eye to the suffering of the poor and the oppressed. It is a despair that
  clings to her like a shroud, a constant reminder of the cruelty and indifference that
  permeates every level of society.

• The way her own body betrays her, the way her limbs grow weak and her vision swims
  when she is at her hungriest, leaving her vulnerable and helpless in a world that offers no
  mercy.

• The sickening, rotting stench of corruption that seems to emanate from the very heart of
  the city, the way it chokes the life and hope from the air and leaves only a putrid,
  gagging miasma in its wake.

• The way her own mind turns traitor, whispering poisonous thoughts and dark
   imaginings in the long, sleepless hours of the night, as hunger and desperation eat away
   at her sanity.

• The bone-deep, heart-wrenching loneliness of being utterly alone in a world that has no
   use for her, of having no one to turn to in her darkest hours, no one who cares whether
   she lives or dies.